Area News
Hardin County High School summer renovations aim to build pride, improve safety
Published in the July 9, 2026 Hardin County Independent. We need your support. Subscribe! Call 618-287-2361. By Jennifer Lane, Editor Hardin County School students, families and community members will see a different look when they return to the building this 2026-2027 school year, as Hardin County Community Unit School District 1 moves through a…
Read MoreJuly 15th grand reopening announced for Rose Clare Craft & Antique Mall
Business Spotlight published July 9, 2026 in the Hardin County Independent. Gwynndolin Johnson and Susie Knight getting booths ready for the reopening. Organizers are excited to announce that the doors to the Rose Clare Craft & Antique Mall will officially reopen to the public on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.…
Read MoreObituary of Bonnie Faye McBee Johnson
Bonnie Faye McBee Johnson, 85 year old, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Bonnie was born on June 19, 1941 in Cave-in-Rock, Illinois, to Aaron Johnson and Ida Mae Allen Johnson. Bonnie was the youngest of fifteen children and carried with her the strength, resilience, and love that came from growing up in…
Read MoreTerry Weldon Vaughn
Terry Weldon Vaughn, 65, of St. Peters, MO (formerly of Hardin County) passed away Thursday, July 2, 2026. His parents were Peggy Pennell Lanham and James Walter (JW) Vaughn. He is survived by his wife, Mary Kathrine Vaughn; son, Aaron (Brandi) Scott; step-daughter, Jodi Powers; grandchildren, Beau and Levi Scott, Desiree Powers and Maverick Becker;…
Read MoreObituary of Layla Sue Shell-Rushing
Layla Sue Shell-Rushing, 45, formerly from Elizabethtown IL, entered the Kingdom of Heaven on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, surrounded by the people she loved the most. She was born on August 5, 1980, and graduated from Hardin County High School. She lived a short, but meaningful life. She was a bright light to those who…
Read MoreObituary of Betty Ann Haney
On Monday, May 11, 2026 at 2:03 a.m., Betty Ann Haney passed away in her Albuquerque, New Mexico home at age 92. Betty was born on September 10, 1933 in Harrisburg, Illinois. Betty had an inquisitive and curious mind. She liked to discover, explore and learn from her world through different places and people. Betty…
Read MoreObituary of Eula Mae Milligan Ralph
Eula Mae Milligan Ralph was born on October 22, 1929 in the Battery Rock Precinct of Hardin County, Illinois. Her parents were Burley and Ethel Milligan. She had one brother C.W., who passed away as a young child. Eula Mae, in her teenage years, worked at a waitress for several years in Cave In Rock.…
Read MoreObituary of John Wess Outen
John Wess Outen, 47, of Easley, South Carolina, passed away on Thursday, June 11, 2026. He was born on November 22, 1978, in Savannah, GA, to Donna Smock Outen and the late Danny Joe Outen. He was known as John to some and Wess to others. He worked alongside his brother, Jay at JO Surfaces,…
Read MoreLocal improvements to River to River Trail thanks to donations and a NFF matching grant
By Jennifer Lane, Editor Improvements are underway on a section of the River to River Trail, thanks to local donors, partner organizations, and matching grant funds through the National Forest Foundation. It all began only a few months ago on December 20, 2025, when Terry Wheeler, Director of Shawnee Trail Conservancy (STC), alerted Shawnee Forest…
Read MoreJohn Albert Smock
John Albert Smock, 60, died Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at home. He was born June 28, 1965. He is survived by one daughter, Jessica (Tanner) Thomas of Paducah, Kentucky; sons, Justin (Kara) Shoulta of Ledbetter, Kentucky and Tyler (Samantha) Shoulta of Paducah, Kentucky; mother, Carol Smock of Rosiclare, Illinois; brothers, James Howard (Tina) Smock Jr.…
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